Giovanni Díaz-Infante Posadas, Grade 11
UWC Maastricht
The International Peace Conference (IPC) is a student initiative introduced by former United World College Maastricht (UWCM) students Ido David (Israel) and Mohannad Alshalada (Palestine) in 2014. Two strangers that, while unknown to each other, were already deeply opposed and divided by a generational conflict greater than either of them, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. UWC is where these politically foretold ‘enemies’ met for the first time and, after spending some time together, it also became the place where they became close companions for life. Through dialogue and discussion, Ido and Mohammed dared to look past the barriers that held them apart, and they discovered that, while they could not reach a consensus on everything, they could reach a consensus on a surprising number of issues. This realization became the philosophy of a project that they would name the International Peace Conference.
Ever since, IPC has been an annual event that aimed at youth that brings together people from different backgrounds to explore the barriers and bridges to peace, spark activism, and develop a keenness to explore the complexity of this concept from critical perspectives. IPC recognizes that there is no singular definition of peace nor a prescribed route to attaining it, but nonetheless, it firmly believes that “peace can be a reality”.
The conference is entirely student-led, organized by a team composed of first and second years that is divided into 5 sub-teams and renewed every year. After a somewhat short selection process that started as soon as I arrived at UWCM, I was chosen to be part of the Content sub-team alongside three of my co-years. As the name suggests, my sub-team was in charge of developing the content and workshops of this year’s conference, which took place on February 13th, 14th and 15th. This year, UWC was our main focus of exploration, but following the theme ‘Utopia & Dystopia’, we examined topics ranging from the Hong Kong protests to the challenge of illegal migration to the US.
Of all the projects that I have had the chance to be involved in this year, academic and non-academic, this is the one that I am most proud of. My involvement in it has shown me what it truly means to live a lifestyle driven by the mission and values of UWC as well as my potential as an individual to spread peace and be a global citizen. After just one year, this experience has helped me to improve my skills exponentially to brainstorm, plan and execute an event but, for me, IPC was greater than just a three-day conference or a scheduled weekly meeting. It was a platform that empowered me and provided me with the opportunity to channel all my experiences, ideas and energy into something helpful, into a project that has a real impact in my community. It pushed me to explore the idea of peace in the wider global context as a change-maker, but also in my everyday relationships. It showed me the importance of characterizing peace as a continuous pursuit instead and not a one-time achievement.
Just like UWC, diversity is a fundamental part of the beauty of this initiative, and throughout the year, the exploration of such diversity and its connection to peace allowed me to establish deep bonds with the rest of the team. With members from China to Jamaica, every meeting was an opportunity for us to share our experiences with peace, or the lack thereof; an opportunity to learn from each other; a new window into the world.
Without a doubt, this experience has helped me grow as a person and truly understand the power of education as a “force to unite”. It was also opened my eyes to a new way of thinking guided by Gandhi’s words:
“To believe in something and not to live it, is dishonest.”
Ever since, IPC has been an annual event that aimed at youth that brings together people from different backgrounds to explore the barriers and bridges to peace, spark activism, and develop a keenness to explore the complexity of this concept from critical perspectives. IPC recognizes that there is no singular definition of peace nor a prescribed route to attaining it, but nonetheless, it firmly believes that “peace can be a reality”.
The conference is entirely student-led, organized by a team composed of first and second years that is divided into 5 sub-teams and renewed every year. After a somewhat short selection process that started as soon as I arrived at UWCM, I was chosen to be part of the Content sub-team alongside three of my co-years. As the name suggests, my sub-team was in charge of developing the content and workshops of this year’s conference, which took place on February 13th, 14th and 15th. This year, UWC was our main focus of exploration, but following the theme ‘Utopia & Dystopia’, we examined topics ranging from the Hong Kong protests to the challenge of illegal migration to the US.
Of all the projects that I have had the chance to be involved in this year, academic and non-academic, this is the one that I am most proud of. My involvement in it has shown me what it truly means to live a lifestyle driven by the mission and values of UWC as well as my potential as an individual to spread peace and be a global citizen. After just one year, this experience has helped me to improve my skills exponentially to brainstorm, plan and execute an event but, for me, IPC was greater than just a three-day conference or a scheduled weekly meeting. It was a platform that empowered me and provided me with the opportunity to channel all my experiences, ideas and energy into something helpful, into a project that has a real impact in my community. It pushed me to explore the idea of peace in the wider global context as a change-maker, but also in my everyday relationships. It showed me the importance of characterizing peace as a continuous pursuit instead and not a one-time achievement.
Just like UWC, diversity is a fundamental part of the beauty of this initiative, and throughout the year, the exploration of such diversity and its connection to peace allowed me to establish deep bonds with the rest of the team. With members from China to Jamaica, every meeting was an opportunity for us to share our experiences with peace, or the lack thereof; an opportunity to learn from each other; a new window into the world.
Without a doubt, this experience has helped me grow as a person and truly understand the power of education as a “force to unite”. It was also opened my eyes to a new way of thinking guided by Gandhi’s words:
“To believe in something and not to live it, is dishonest.”
www.unitedworldwide.co